West Branch Goodnow River Fishing Guide, Essex County, New York

• Overview

  West Branch Goodnow River is set in Essex County, New York. Height above sea level is 1,608 feet. You are 24 miles from Tupper Lake. The big place round here is Albany, 91 miles distant. Others close at hand: Otter Pond the better part of 1.2 miles, Bates Pond about 1.3 miles, Fifth Lake the better part of 1.9 miles, Sixth Lake about 2.1 miles and Fourth Lake the better part of 2.3 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on West Branch Goodnow River

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Undercut banks hold fish that the middle of the river never will. Where two currents meet, work the crease between them. Records held for Essex County cover brown trout, brook trout, white sucker, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. West Branch Goodnow River repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 64°F on average, January about 14°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice takes the slower stretches in winter; by mid April the whole run is open again. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at early December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. That shapes the year on West Branch Goodnow River.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. You can launch from a ramp around half a mile away. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Failing this one, try Otter Pond, 1.2 miles away. Confirm before you fish West Branch Goodnow River.